Vegetable slicing machine



Dec. 10, 1940.

J. A. MILLER VEGETABLE SLICING',MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3.9 Joseph Dec. 10, 1940. J. A. MILLER 2,224,655

VEGETABLE SLI C ING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEGETABLE SLICIN G lVIACHIN E Application-January 25, 1940, Seriai-No..315,609

8 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to vegetable slicing machines and more particularly to a power-operated machine for slicing pickles,

that is, sweet mixed, or chunked pickles and bread-and-butter or sandwich pickles or chips, and having as a requisite for this purpose changeable slicing blades and plungers, or more especially knife heads and plunger heads.

The invention further relates to machines of the type in-which the pickles are fed to the slicing mechanism by mechanical means from a feed station upon which they are placed by-hand, and, in view of the close proximity of the feed station to the slicing mechanism, and from the standpoint of safety of the operator, it is an object of the invention to provide a feed arrangement of a nature to insure effective mechanical alignment of the pickles by the mechanical feed means after they have been placed manually at the-feed station without regard to alignment.

In connection with the slicing of certain pickles, more especially what are known as sweet mixed pickles, it is a well-known fact that it is desirable to-cut'the same longitudinally as Well as transversely so as to halve the round slices,

and it is an important requisite of this invention to provide for the ready effective installation and use, when it is desirable and necessary, of a 1ongitudinal splitting knife in cooperative arrangement with the slicing blades for the lengthwise splitting of the pickles as they are sliced.

Other objects of the invention as well as the resulting advantages thereof, residing more particularly in its various details, will clearly appear 35 in the course of the following description, in

which reference is made to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and

wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of the complete machine;

Figure 2 is a side view thereof;

Figure 3 is a front view;

Figure 4 is a detail fragmentary sectional view through one of the walls of the knife box, showing the longitudinal splitting knife in position,

. and taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a similar view taken substantially on the line 5--5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of Figure 3;

Figure '7 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 1---.-'! of Figure 3, showing the knife boxintop plan view;

"Figure 8 is a detail perspective View of ;one of the plunger blades together with certainof the connections thereof; and

Figure 91s a detail perspective-view of cone "of the slicing knives. 5

Referring now to these figures. andmore particularly to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 6,,thereiis shqwn a slicing machine, the principal supporhofithe "parts of which is derived from*the;secure .-c onnection of :the knifelbox generally inclicated at 10, to a support, which may be .a slicingztable or the frame of a conveyor, by,which lconveyor the sliced pickles are continuously displacedifrom beneath the knifeboxdfor inspection purposes,

particularly where it is. desired to move rthe' ends 15 and badly misshapen pieces.

By comparison of Figures 3 andl6, it ewill-be noted that the front and rearlwalls Hand 2, of the knife boxare inclinedin anupwarddirection toward one another, while vthe side-walls .I3.:are;- upright. These .walls. are integralwith one:an-

other at the corners of the box, which, it will'be noted, is generally of oblong shape,,and-.are similarly united at their lower edgesto a horizontally outstanding and surroundingfiange M, .the:lat-,- :terof which is widest beyondthe, sides I52 ofthe box for the reception of bolts or othersfastening .members 15, :by means of which-the knifebox ,as a whole may be rigidly connectedtoasupports of the nature above set forth and to 'furtherc30 1 provide for rigid and preferably-integral upright lanchoringlsockets l Hi idisposed wholly beyond the sidewalls l2.

Securely land rigidly bolted or otherwise: .an- .chored at their lower ends in the anchoring;: sockets-i5 are a pair of cylindrical uprightsor frame bars. H rising in line withthe horizontal longitudinal axis of the knife box. To the upper ends of. theframe bars 11 ,arelsi-milarly bolted. or otherwise rigidly secured the end sockets =1 8 of-;;40 .a. platform 19 forthesupport of agear. box 20, .zthrough which a ,driven shaft 2| is '-mounted. av Gears within thegearbox 2i]v connect the driven eshaft 2! with the shaft .of. amotor 222,.if such 1' motor .is used for the power'opera'tion of' the] maechine the rear :endlof the ishaftflhbeingpref- -erably provided with ;a pulley :23, whereby ;.the ;machine.may:be connectedr by a :belt 24;.1tola source of distant ;p,ower, it.being notedthat;;.the motor .22, if used, is mounted directlycn theplatso :form =19 as, plainly shown in Fig-uresg 1 ,and ,3.

=-At theforward end of the-,driven shaft l-2l. -is a ,crank-,d isk-25,;f-rom which-1a crankarm, 26:,depends, the :lowerend of :this crank; arm ,being pivotally connected .at-ZT to-a crossheadmadegup ofi bearing members 29 integral with its opposite ends and slidably disposed upon the upright frame bar I! for guided movement under actuation of the power connections just described within the space between the top of the knife box I0 and the platform 19. One of these tubular bearings29 of the crosshead, it will be noted, is provided with a laterally projecting stud 30 for the movable connection of the upper end of a side connecting rod 3|, for a purpose which will presently appear.

Where the knife box I0 is securely fastened, as by bolting, to a table, the open base of the knife box is positioned above an opening in the table so that the sliced pickles may fall into a suitable receptacle, and this is generally indicated in Figure 6, where the table or other support is indicated at A with an opening A inverted in alignment with the open base of the knife box.

Y The knife assembly or head consists of a series of V-shaped slicing blades or knives 32, one of which is shown in detail in Figure 9, and a pair of supporting rods 33, the latter of which extend through openings in the side walls l2 of the knife box, these rods traversing the knife box within its upper front and rear portions, parallel to the front and rear walls I l and I2. As will be noted from Figure 9, each slicing knife or blade 32 has openings 34 through the free ends of its diverging portions, each of which diverging portions has a cutting edge 35. The rods 33 extend through the openings 34 and also through spacing rings 36 between the knives or blades 32, and it is these rods, spacing rings 36, and series of knives or blades spaced and clamped thereby which constitute the slicing or cutting, head, disposed, as above stated and as plainly seen in Figure 6, wholly within the knife box 10, so that the several knives or blades cooperate in their V-shape formation to constitute therein a longitudinal pickle receiving trough.

' At the front of the knife box there is bolted or otherwise securely fastened thereto a forwardly and downwardly curved pickle feed plate 31, the upper rear edge of which terminates flush with the upper edge of the front wall ll of the knife box, along the full length of which the feed plate 31 extends. This feed plate curves forwardly and downwardly to a point substantially forwardly of the front wall I l of the knife box as well as to a point at least midway of the height of the knife box, so as to provide for a pickle receiving station, where the pickle is initially placed by hand, by the operator, at a point substantially remote from the upper open end of the feed box.

Mounted to sweep along the upper surface of the curved feed plate 31 from the lower forward edge thereof to its upper rear edge is a longitudinally disposed, angularly shaped feed bar 38 formed in connection at its opposite ends with a pair of angular side arms 39, the latter of which are pivotally mounted at 40 at their rear ends upon bolts or studs secured to the lower forward portions of the side walls I2 of the knife box, one

of these side arms 39 being in connection,

through the connecting rod 3| previously mentioned, with the crosshead 28', so that, as the crosshead slides upwardly, the lever 42 will be swung upwardly and rearwardly, and conseqently the feed bar 38 will be shifted upwardly along the feed plate 31, whereby a pickle placed manually on the feed plate 31 by the operator with the parts in the position shown in Figure 6, will be shifted upwardly along the feed plate and finally discharged into the feed box, where it will come to rest in the trough formed by the V- shaped knives of the knife or cutting head. It .will be noted in this respect that the feed plate 31 is curved on the arc of a circle having its center at the pivots 40 of the side arms 39 of the feed bar 38 and that the arrangement permits of the manual disposal of a pickle in connection with the feed means at a point remote from the upper open end of the knife box l0, so that itis entirely unnecessary for the hands of the operator to dangerous approach those portions of the machine including the knives or blades 32, in-

,volved in the pickle cutting operation. It is to be further noted at this point that the arrangement also provides for sliding movement of the pickle over substantially the entire surface of the feed plate 31, which gives rise to the further advantage that it eliminates the necessity for great care in the manual placement of the pickles on the feed plate. Ordinarily the pickles are laid on the feed bar 38 and parallel therewith, but, if for any reason in the hurried moments of continuous operation, a pickle is carelessly placed on end, that is, more or less at right angles to the feed bar 38, it will be straightened out in alignment along the feed bar as the latter moves upwardly across the feed plate 31, since, during this movement, the pickle slides on the feed plate and has sufficient frictional contact therewith to bring about alignment or proper lengthwise positional relationship of each pickle before it is discharged into the feed box.

For the safe operation of the feed bar by the up and down movements of the crosshead 28, there is rigidly connected to one of the side arms 39, as best seen in Figures 3 and 6,'an angular bracket 4| which outstands laterally of said arm and pivotally supports a socketed connecting member or head 42. Securely fastened in the socket of the connecting member or head 42 as by means of a set screw 42 is the lower end of the before-mentioned connecting rod 3 I, whose upper end joins the stud or projecting member 30 of the crosshead in a manner promoting a definite factor of safety in operation as will be now described.

Theupper end of the connecting rod 3| passes loosely through a somewhat larger opening in the projecting member 30 and also through compression springs 3| and 3 l whose adjacent ends bear against opposite sides of said projection. These springs are compressed between the pro- .jection 30 and collars 43 secured on the connecting rod 3|, and are of sufficient strength to normally transmit the reciprocating movement of the crosshead 28 to the swinging feed member. In this connection it will be noted that but little power is needed in the normal feed of pickles upwardly along the feed plate 31 and that the springs 3| and 3| make it possible for the operator to hold the feed bar relatively stationary during continued operation of the crosshead in any instance where a portion of the operators hand or clothes become caught in the feed member.

To cooperate with the cutting or slicing head, a plunger head is utilized in connection with the crosshead 28, this plunger head consisting of a T-shaped bar 44, whose upstanding rib seats against the lower surface of the crosshead 28 between the slide members 29 and whose opposite ends are provided with flanges 45, as best seen in Figures 1 and 3, for secure connection by bolts and the like to'the crosshead, it being noted that this rib is recessed at spaced points at 46 to provide for the reception of bolts and nuts engaging the upper ends of these holts,=as utilized in'the connection of the plunger diskassembly to be now described.

lShe plunger disk assembly includes a series of plunger disks "4B, of which a single disk is shown in detail in Figure 8. These disks, which are used singly or in pairs, separated, by spacing receives at its threaded ends bolts and clamping rings 53, whereby the several plunger disks are thus rigidly clamped in spaced relation by means disposed adjacent to their upper ends, so that the lower ends are free to pass downwardly through the spaces between the slicing blades 32. Theuse of the plunger disks 40, either singly or in pairs, depends upon the desired thickness of the pickles slices and thus upon the spacing of the blades 32 in the knife head. The aforementioned bolts M, which connect the plunger disk assembly with the'T-shaped bar 44 of the plunger head, have their lower ends threaded into certain of the spacing rings 49 as shown in Figure 8.

Thus with the plunger head properly secured in position and the disks thereof spaced to accord with the desired spacing of the knife blades 32 in the knife head, each downward movement of the crosshead 28, from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 6, shifts the several plunger disks 48 downwardly through the spaces between the slicing blades 32, and it is to be noted from Figure 6 that it is preferable this movement be such as to carry the lower straight edges 50 of the plunger blades 48 to a lowermost point coincident with the lowermost points of the blades 32 or slightly above such lowermost points of the blades, for a purpose to now appear.

It 'Will be noted from Figures 1, 2 and 6 that the lower portions of the side walls l3 of the knife box it are recessed or cut away above the surrounding flange [4 of the knife box, so that they present substantial free lower edges above and inwardly beyond the end portions of the knife box flange l4. These lower edges of the end walls [3 are provided with vertical slots 53 to receive the end portions of a longitudinal splitting knife 54 whose upper cutting edge 55 may be presented snugly against the lowermost central points of the several slicing blades 32. The lower portions of the end walls l3 at the lower ends of the slots 53 are also tapped to receive threadedly adjustable clamping screws 56, as best seen in Figures 4 and 5, which engage the lower edges of the splitting knife 54 at its opposite ends to hold the splitting knife firmly positioned against and along the knife head.

Thus when the plunger descends, each pickle will be forced down through the slicing blades 32 and each pickle so sliced will be also forced downwardly against the splitting blade 54, so

that it will be split lengthwise and the slices thus cut in half, as indicated in Figure 6'.

It is obvious that the splitting knife 54 may be used whenever desired and that it may be readily installed when its use is desired and, removed at other times without disturbing the knife head, and, where the machine as a whole is used above a table opening as previously described, it is possible to install and remove the splitting knife from beneath the table without detaching the machine from the table, as might otherwise be necessary.

It is to be understood from the foregoing that it is contemplated the cutting blades as well as the disks in the plunger head may be. formed of thin material, of non-oxidizing nature, such as stainless steel, which is not affected by the acids of the pickles or such other vegetables as ,may be sliced, and which is capable of being readily maintained in a cleanly, sanitary condition.

What is claimed is: l. A slicing machine comprising a knife box open at the top and bottom thereof and having means for securing the same upon a stationary support, a knife head therein including a series of V-shaped slicing knives having inner cutting edgesand means rigidly connecting and clamping the upper outer ends of said knives in spaced apart relation to form an upwardly opening trough in the head for-the reception of the vegetables to be sliced, and a plunger having guided movement vertically into and out of the knife box and including a head comprising a series of plunger disks for passage downwardly between i the cutting knives of the knife head, said plunger disks presenting lower horizontal straight edges, and means extending through the upper portions of the series of plunger disks and rigidly connecting the same in spaced apart relation coinciding with the spacing of the slicing knives.

2. A slicing machine comprising a knife box open at its top and bottom and having means for securing the same upon a stationary support, a knife head therein including a series of V- shaped slicing knives having inner cutting edges, and means for rigidly clamping the same in spaced apart relation to form an upwardly opening trough for the vegetables to be sliced, a

plunger having guided movement vertically into:

and out of the knife box and including a series of spaced apart rigidly clamped plunger disks for passage between the slicing knives, and a longitudinal splitting knife detachably positioned in connection with portions of the knife box and presenting an upper cutting edge centrally along and beneath the slicing knives of the knife head.

3. A slicing machine comprising a knife box open at its top and bottom and having means for securing the same upon a stationary support, a knife head therein including a series of V- shaped slicing knives having inner cutting edges, and means for rigidly clamping the same in spaced apart relation to form an upwardly opening trough for the vegetables to be sliced, a plunge-r having guided movement vertically into and out of the knife box and including a series of spaced apart rigidly clamped plunger disks for passage between the slicing knives, a longitudinal splitting knife detachably positioned in connection Wi-thportions of the knife box and presenting an upper cutting edge-centrally along and beneath the slicing knives of the knife head, and means in connection with the side walls of the knife box for supporting said splitting knife and adjustably maintaining its said cutting edge against the lower edges of the slicing knives.

4. A slicing machine comprising-a knife box open at its top and bottom and having means for securing the same upon a stationary support, a knife head therein including a series of V-shaped slicing knives having inner cutting edges, and means for rigidly clamping the same in spaced apart relation to form an upwardly opening trough for the vegetables to be sliced, a plunger having guided movement vertically into and out of the knife box and including a series of spaced apart rigidly clamped plunger disks for passage between the slicing'knives, a longitudinal splitting knife detachably positioned in connection with portions of the knife box and presenting an upper cutting edge centrally along and beneath the slicing knives of the knife head, the side walls of the knife box having vertically disposed slotted openings in which the end portions of the splitting knife are adjustably seated, and clamping means cooperating with said side walls of the box and engaging the splitting knife for firmly holding the latter in positionupwardly against the lower ends of the slicing knives.

5. A slicing machine comprising a knife box open at its top and bottom and having means for securing the same upon a stationary support, a longitudinal series of V-shaped slicing knives having inner cutting edges and secured at the upper portions and at laterally spaced points within the knife box to present a vegetable receiving trough, a plunger having guided movement vertically into and out of the knife box and including rigidly clamped plunger disks spaced apart in accordance with the spacing of the slicing knives for passage downwardly between the latter, and feed means for supplying vegetables to the upper end of the knife box and to the trough formed by the cutting knives, consisting of a forwardly and downwardly curved feed plate attached to the forward wall of the box and outstanding therefrom to a point safely remote from the plunger and slicing knives, and plunger actuated means movable along the feed plate from its front to its rear for shifting manually disposed vegetables in sliding contact with the feed plate from the lower front portion thereof into the knife box.

6. A slicing machine comprising a knife box open at its top and bottom and having means for securing the same upon a stationary support, a longitudinal series of V-shaped slicing knives having inner cutting edges and secured at the upper portions and at laterally spaced points within the knife box to present a vegetable receiving trough, a plunger having guided movement vertically into and out of the knife box and including rigidly clamped plunger disks spaced apart in accordance with the spacing of the slicing knives for passage downwardly between the latter, and feed means for supplying vegetables to the upper end of the knife box and to the trough formed by the cutting knives, consisting of a forwardly and downwardly curved feed plate attached to the forward wall of the box and outstanding therefrom to a point safely remote from the plunger and slicing knives, plunger actuated means movable along the feed plate from its front to its rear for shifting manually disposed vegetables in sliding contact with the feed plate from the lower front portion thereof into the knife box, said means including a feed bar disposed longitudinally of the feed plate, having side arm's pivotally connected to the knife box, and a connecting rod pivotally connected to the plunger and toone of said side arms for actuating the feed bar in timed relation to the movements of the plunger.

7. A slicing machine comprising a knife box open at its top and bottom and having means for securing the same upon a stationary support, a longitudinal series of V-shaped slicing knives having inner cutting edges and secured at the upper portions and at laterally spaced points within the knife box to present a vegetable receiving trough, a plunger having guided movement vertically into and out of the knife box and including rigidly clamped plunger disks spaced apart in accordance with the spacing of the slicing knives for passage downwardly between the latter, and feed means for supplying vegetables to the upper end of theknife box and to the trough formed by the cutting knives, consisting of a forwardly and downwardly curved feed plate attached to the forward wall of the box and outstanding therefrom to a point safely remote from the plunger and slicing knives, plunger actuated means movable along the feed plate from its iron to its rear for shifting manually disposed vegetables in sliding contact with the feed plate from the lower front portion thereof into the knife box, said means including a feed bar disposed longitudinally of the feed plate, having side arms pivotally connected to the knife box, a connecting rod pivotally connected to one of the side arms, and spring means between the connecting rod and the plunger through which movements of the plunger are normally communicated to the feed member, said spring means permitting the feed member to be held relatively stationary during continued movement of the plunger.

-8. A slicing machine comprising a knife box open at its top and bottom and having means for securing the same upon a stationary support, a longitudinal series of transversely disposed knives supported within said .box in spaced apart relation, a plunger having guided movement vertically into and out of the knife box and including a plunger head having a series of plunger disks for movement downwardly between the knives, a feed member mounted in connection with theknife box to swing along the face of the feed plate for shifting vegetables in sliding contact with the feed plate and into the knife box, a connecting rod pivotally connected at one end to said feed member, an apertured extension carried by the plunger through which the other end of the connecting rod loosely extends, compression springs around those portions of the connecting rod up'on opposite sides of said projection and abutting at one end the opposite sides of the projection, and anchoring members carried by the connecting rod against which the opposite ends of the springs have bearing, whereby to norm-ally actuate the feed member by the movements of the plunger and permit the feed member to be held relatively stationary during continued movements of the plunger.

JOSEPH A. MILLER. 

